


i'll put it all on the line

by tkreyesevandiaz



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Background Relationships, Bets, Christopher Ships It, Christopher's Dads, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Feelings, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Idiots in Love, Kissing Prompts, Love Confessions, M/M, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on Tumblr, Party, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt, buddie, first confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21776149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkreyesevandiaz/pseuds/tkreyesevandiaz
Summary: Tumblr Ask Box FicPrompt: a bet at a party for the kissing prompts
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 37
Kudos: 419





	i'll put it all on the line

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> Here's another one of my fics, requested by @theladyandthewolves on Tumblr! [if you're on AO3, lemme know!]. This was looked over by @ariquitecontrary <3
> 
> The title is from "Bet It All On You" by Vince Gill
> 
> This one is definitely a tad shorter than my other ones but you know I can't resist! My ask box is always open for Buddie fics, because I live for them xD I can finally work on them now that finals are over!
> 
> The picture below is Eddie's outfit ;)

**Prompt:** At a party + a bet ([kissing prompts](https://zeethebooknerd.tumblr.com/post/189021483639/a-kissing-prompt-list))

 **Requested by:** @theladyandthewolves (Tumblr ask)

Why did Eddie always insist on doing this to him?

Buck watched over his bottle of water as Eddie moved around the yard, laughing and joking with the other members of his family and the 118 while hovering over them to make sure everyone was eating and no one’s plates and cups were empty. Once again, it was on Buck to tell Eddie to just _chill._

Christopher was turning nine today and Eddie had thrown a huge bash for him. The birthday boy was bouncing in place as he chattered away happily with May and his friends from school, while Denny and Harry looked to be in a heated discussion about something. Christopher’s birthday being in the summer had its advantages. It was a beautiful summer evening, one of the cooler ones, and it was great they all got the evening off to enjoy this with each other.

He leaned against the table as he watched his best friend flutter around, making sure everything was perfect for Christopher. Streamers were hung up on the back wall of the house, courtesy of the grueling hours that Eddie had demanded Buck stretch and hang up.

Buck rolled his eyes at the memory. 

_“A little to the left,” Eddie mused again. Buck let out a louder-than-normal exasperated groan at Eddie bossing him around._

_“Eddie! It looks fine!”_

_“It needs to be perfect," he snapped back. “Now move it to the left.”_

_Buck complied and pulled his hand back from the wall. “You know what, you’re only 2 inches shorter than me. You could’ve done this yourself.”_

_“Yeah but it’s more fun this way,” Eddie shrugged. “Might as well put those two inches you’re always bragging about to good use.”_

_Buck’s mind instantly went somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t have gone. His thoughts made him flush as he ran the sentence in his mind over and over again. He looked at Eddie with his mouth open, shaking his head at his best friend._

_“You’re unbelievable," Buck hissed at him, picking up yet another shiny blue strip of paper. He’d do anything for Christopher though, even deal with his moody-as-fuck father._

_“Maybe so. Now get back to work, we don’t have all day.” Buck threw his hands up as Eddie walked away, giving his best friend’s back the stink-eye._

_“Asshole,” Buck muttered under his breath._

_“I heard that!” Eddie called back from the kitchen. Buck reached up to tape the streamer against the part where wall met ceiling, rolling his eyes yet again._

_“You were meant to!”_

_“Yeah, and you were meant to put those streamers at an equal width from each other, but you don’t seem to be doing so.” Eddie sassed, poking his head back outside, right next to Buck’s armpit. “Move it a little more to the right.”_

_“Eddie! Move on from the streamers!”_

Buck looked back at where him and Eddie had argued like five-year-olds, laughing lightly. The man in question was now being borderline psychotic, making sure everything was “fine.”

He wasn’t sure what his partner was actually worried about. Everything looked amazing to him. Bobby (as usual) was over there manning the grill with Michael, Athena and Eddie’s abuela were setting out the finger foods Eddie had prepared. Maddie and Chim had taken over the presents table, organizing the brightly wrapped boxes and cartoon-decorated gift bags. Buck smiled at his sister laughing with her boyfriend, happy that she found her spark again in Chim.

As Eddie walked past him to check on the drinks table that Buck was leaning against, Buck reached out to grab his shoulder.

“Eddie. Slow down and breathe. Stop looking for trouble.” This was driving Buck up the wall, and if the look on Karen and Athena’s faces were anything to go by, it was killing them too. “We spent the entire week preparing for this, everything is _perfect_. I’m going to go insane just watching you.”

Eddie took a deep breath at Buck’s insistence before glaring at him. “Then don’t watch me.”

 _Therein lies the problem, I literally_ can’t _stop looking at you._

Instead of scaring off his friend with those words, Buck forcefully pushed Eddie down into a chair and thrust a bottle of water in his hands. He stood there with his arms crossed and waited until Eddie reluctantly took a sip of the water.

“Chris, could you come here please?” Buck called out to the boy. His heart squeezed as Chris’ face lit up as he made his way over.

“Hi, Buck!” Chris said enthusiastically. Buck laughed as he ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Hey buddy, can you do me a favor and tell your dad how this party is?” Buck wiggled his eyebrows at Chris, shooting Eddie a wink.

“It’s amazing! Thank you, Daddy!” Chris chirped, throwing his little arms around his father. Buck stepped back with a smirk on his face as Eddie wrapped his son up in a tight hug.

“You’re welcome, _my baby._ I’m glad you like it,” Eddie smiled, finally looking like he was breathing again. Buck plopped down in a chair next to Eddie, grabbing a soda for himself.

“Dad, I’m nine years old, I’m not a baby anymore,” Chris whined, slightly annoyed at the term of endearment. Eddie gaped at him while Buck howled with laughter, choking on his drink.

“You could be ninety years old and you’d still be my baby. Now go play,” Eddie playfully scolded. Chris shrugged and ambled off, but not before hugging Buck too.

“I know you’re keeping Dad calm and that he bossed you around all week, so thank you. I’m sorry he’s being difficult,” the young boy said matter-of-factually. Buck laughed harder at that, hugging Chris before he walked back to Harry and May. 

“Unbelievable. He’s not even at the teenage years yet,” Eddie complained, hazel eyes tracking his son’s movements. Buck wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes before sharply looking at his idiotic friend.

“Shut up, Eds,” Buck groaned, looking up at the sky. “He’s literally the sweetest kid on the planet, and he was one-hundred percent correct. You really did boss me around all week and clearly, I’m the one keeping you from driving everyone else up the wall. Not to mention you really are being difficult.”

Eddie rolled his eyes before standing up again. Buck pushed him back down in the chair. “Are you going to behave and go enjoy yourself for the first time?”

“What is this, time out?” His best friend looked exasperatingly at him. Buck shrugged and settled back against his own chair.

“If that’s what it takes.” An idea struck him then. “I’ll place a bet with you,” Buck wagered with him, leaning forward in his chair. Eddie quirked an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest.

“What kind of a bet?” Eddie looked at him suspiciously.

“If everything at this party goes amazing and without a hitch, I’ll do whatever you want.” The thought sent a frisson of heat through Buck, that he studiously ignored. Eddie’s tightly folded arms went lax at that, and he suddenly seemed to be thinking very hard about this proposition.

“Whatever I want?” His voice was quiet, but meaningful. Buck barely resisted a shiver as he nodded. They’d slipped right back into that zone between harmless flirting and I-want-you-in-my-bed flirting. 

Over the past few weeks, they’d been permanently skirting around each other. Buck knew he wasn’t the only one who was feeling such a pull towards his partner, but Buck didn’t know if this thing between them went anywhere beyond attraction for Eddie. And to be honest, he was a little afraid to hope for it too.

He knew that he was head over heels in love with Eddie Diaz and his son. Buck wasn’t willing to do anything to jeopardize his place with the Diaz family, but he also knew that at some point, if they didn’t take a chance, they’d live with ‘what ifs’ for the rest of their lives.

Not to mention that he didn’t want his heart to break even further. If he lost Eddie and Christopher, it would quite literally fracture him into a million pieces. He didn’t have it in him to pretend that it was just an attraction, not when that meant putting his heart on the line. He was soul-deep in love with the Diaz boys, and that was that.

A snapping took him out of his thoughts. Buck furiously blushed when he realized that he’d just been staring at Eddie like an idiot for the past few minutes. Buck shook it off and guarded his gaze as he answered Eddie’s original question.

“Yeah, whatever you want, provided you actually _enjoy_ the party and stop being a mother hen.” 

“I’m holding you to that,” Eddie said, reaching past Buck to grab his soda off the table. For a brief minute, his face was at the perfect place for Buck to kiss him. Breathing out, Buck focused on the rest of the party only to lock eyes with Maddie who was giving him one of her infamous looks.

For the millionth time at this party, Buck rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out at her.

“What are you, five?” Eddie snorted as he caught the childish action, walking away to join his Tia and Hen. Karen gestured for him to take a seat next to her and the two instantly dipped into conversation of their own. Buck made a face at him before he stood up.

As Buck went to join Bobby and Athena at the grill, he instantly realized that Eddie had swiped _his_ drink. He whipped his head around to look at Eddie, who naturally sensed Buck was boring holes into his head. Smirking widely, Eddie took a large gulp of _Buck’s_ drink. 

Buck watched his throat work around the gulp before shaking off the thought. He glared at him before grabbing the plate of burgers Bobby held out, snagging a carrot from the salad nearby.

“Now what is it?” Bobby asked, never missing a single detail even if all his attention was on barbecuing chicken and flipping burgers.

“Idiot stole my drink,” Buck muttered as he chanced another glance to make sure Eddie wasn’t driving anyone else crazy.

“Well I’m glad you sat him down, because him peering over our shoulders every thirty seconds was having me this close to just handcuffing him to a pole for the rest of the party,” Athena pointed out, pinching her thumb and index finger together. Buck ignored the implication that they already knew who he was talking about, despite him not mentioning a name.

“It’s just the Buck charm,” Buck said absentmindedly, gaze sweeping the entire backyard again, running over people mingling and laughing. Bobby and Athena laughed before telling him to go sit down with Maddie and Michael.

* * *

After the presents had been opened and the cake had been cut, everyone left, especially those with early shifts tomorrow morning. That left Chris, Buck and Eddie to walk around the yard and pick up loose trash and empty bottles. 

“That was the best birthday _ever_ ,” Chris declared as he pulled a stray ice-cream sandwich wrapper from behind the bushes. Buck laughed as he held out a trash bag to him. Chris wrinkled his nose as he dumped the wrapper in.

“It was, but after your dad stopped hovering.” Buck couldn’t resist teasing Eddie a little more. “I told you the party was going to be perfect. And it was.”

“Okay Buck, you win,” Eddie laughed, mocking defeat. Buck nearly dropped the trash bag as Eddie bent down to pick up a bottle. 

With how Eddie had him running around this morning to set up Chris’s party, Buck nearly didn’t get to appreciate how those pants encased Eddie’s hips, and molded along his thighs. The thin white sweater Eddie had thrown on made him look like a faraway dream, the fabric clinging to every muscle teasingly and the bottom fringe highlighting his narrow waist.

Eddie had started growing his hair back out again, and now that it was longer and styled a little differently from when they'd first met, Buck could envision running his fingers through the thick strands, ruffling it up completely. Buck never really had a thing for stubble until Eddie, because _holy shit_ does that man make it work. It was trimmed in a way that made it look effortless and sharpened his jawline. The content smile he was sporting went straight to Buck’s head, making him feel dizzy with want and _love_.

Buck quickly snapped out of his mind before he embarrassed himself in front of Christopher and turned away so he wouldn’t have to look at Eddie.

The man in question took the trash bag away from him to toss it in the big bin. Looking around, they discerned it was clean enough and switched off the porch light as they headed inside.

“Dad, can I have another slice of cake?” Chris asked, peering at the few slices of leftover cake. 

“It’s too late, Chris. You can have a bite now, and then a slice tomorrow morning,” Eddie said, feeding him a spoonful of cake. True to his nature, the kid didn’t put up an argument once, knowing his father was right.

“Where did you order that from, anyway? It was so good.” Buck swiped his finger through the frosting, bringing it up to his mouth to lick off. Eddie gave him a playful glare before closing the container and sticking it in the fridge.

“I made it,” Eddie replied, a pink tint tinting his cheeks. Chris laughed at the bewildered look on Buck’s face as he looked between the Diaz boys.

“What do you mean you _made_ it?” Buck was flabbergasted. He’d been decorating the entire house while Eddie handled drinks, foods and invites. How did he miss his best friend _baking_ a goddamn Toy Story themed-cake?

“Exactly that. I made it at home.” Eddie looked slightly uncomfortable with the topic, peeking almost-shyly at Buck. Chris gave his father a hug as he clattered off to his room. "You were at work when I made it."

“It was so good, I didn’t know you could bake.”

“It’s something I picked up from my mom,” Eddie shrugged. “All of us have an enormous sweet tooth, so baking things wasn’t uncommon in the house.” A pleased flush spread on Eddie’s neck and ears.

A gust of longing hit Buck but he schooled his expression before his best friend could catch on. Though, the look in Eddie’s eye had him thinking that perhaps he wasn’t as stealthy as he thought he was.

“Why were you so scared today wasn’t going to go well?” Buck changed the topic, sensing that Eddie didn’t want to talk about his baking skills. He’d been dying to ask the question the entire week but finally picked up the courage today.

“It’s his first birthday without his mom,” Eddie whispered, grabbing a rag to wipe down the counter. Buck made himself useful by packing the leftovers up in smaller containers as he listened to Eddie talk. “It’s not like we don’t miss her everyday, but I didn’t want him to be sad on his big day because of it. And after the year everyone’s had, we definitely could have used the time to just relax with each other.”

Buck froze at the mention, a familiar guilt flooding him at the remembrance of the tsunami. How close they really were to the point where Chris wouldn’t have been able to see age 9, and Buck wouldn’t have gotten to see anything after that. How close they both had been to dying. He knew it in his heart that he wouldn’t have survived it if anything had happened to Christopher.

Eddie seemed to have heard Buck’s hands freeze from putting the leftover pasta in the containers, because he turned Buck to face him. “You saved him that day, that’s why we could see today. Don’t get lost in your mind, Evan. We’re all okay.” 

Those simple words, spoken in Eddie’s signature low tone, were all Buck needed to break free from the hold the memory had on him. He gave a grateful smile in reply, mouthing the words “thanks” to his friend.

Turning his voice into a more playful one, Eddie nudged his shoulder. “I believe you owe me something.”

Buck laughed as he went back to his task. “That I do. What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to be honest with me.”

That was not what Buck was expecting. His head snapped up to meet Eddie’s resigned eyes. “What do you mean?” 

“What do _you_ want, Buck?” Eddie leaned his hip against the counter, folding his arms across his chest again. The action was so _Eddie_ that it made Buck’s brain short circuit.

He knew Eddie well enough. Eddie was asking for something _specific_ out of him, and for the first time in weeks, Buck was privy to the unguarded and vulnerable look in his eyes.

He saw that expression in the mirror everyday. Suddenly, all his inhibitions didn’t matter anymore. His heart was on the line here.

“You.”

The word hung between the two men, heavy but freeing at the same time. Buck felt the perpetual hold on his heart loosen at the slow smile that spread across Eddie’s face. Buck cleared his throat, feeling the honesty tear at him. “I want you. All of you. For now and for always.”

“Glad we’re on the same page.” Eddie pushed off the counter to tangle his hands in Buck’s hair, kissing him sweetly. 

“I’m not dreaming, right,” Buck whispered into the silence. Eddie pinched his arm, earning a yelp and a scowl from Buck. “Okay you made your point, now get back over here and kiss me.”

Eddie laughed as he complied. Buck groaned into his mouth and backed Eddie up into the counter. Eddie tilted his head to deepen the kiss, ghosting his fingers underneath Buck’s baseball tee to dip into the hollow at the small of his back. 

Buck finally tightened his grip on Eddie’s hips, something he’d been wanting to do ever since he’d met the man. One hand traveled to tangle itself in Eddie’s hair; yet another thing Buck always wanted to do.

"This outfit drove me crazy today," Buck murmured against the stubble on Eddie's jaw. He felt Eddie huff out a laugh, felt his lips stretch up into a grin.

"I'll keep that in mind," Eddie teased, cupping Buck's neck to bring their lips back together.

They kept the kiss slow and innocent, just exploring unfamiliar territory and exchanging lazy kisses as they pressed up against one another. Eddie's fingers brushed against his skin in slow circles, bringing goosebumps in their wake.

“Definitely the best birthday ever.” Chris’ voice came from behind them. Buck jumped away from Eddie, whirling around as if he’d been caught making out with someone by his parents, not his best friend’s son. His face flushed red and a quick glance at Eddie proved that he hadn’t fared much better. Neither of them had heard Christopher’s crutches.

“Yeah, you’re right, buddy. It really is the best.” The loving look in Eddie’s eyes punched the breath out of Buck, but he returned the look wholeheartedly.

Yeah, he’d put it all on the line for these boys.

**Author's Note:**

> How was it? 
> 
> Don't forget to leave me kudos and comments, and I appreciate every single one of you for reading and liking my work! 
> 
> My ask box (as mentioned above) is always open :) Leave me whatever comes to mind and I'll try to do my best xD
> 
> The kissing prompt list is linked at the top of this chapter!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at [zeethebooknerd](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/zeethebooknerd) or on Twitter at [tkreyesevandiaz](https://twitter.com/tkreyesevandiaz).


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